Women's British Open

[snookerdad]

DEFENDING champion Maria Catalano joins a 20-strong field at the women’s British Open snooker championship in Newmarket on Saturday.

World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association chairman Mandy Fisher was forced to change the venue of the third ranking event of the season to the Newmarket Snooker & Bowl after the shock closure of Rushden Snooker Club on October 27.

Catalano, Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 26-year-old cousin, beat Portsmouth’s Emma Bonney 3-2 in last year’s final.

Reanne Evans, winner of the first two WLBSA tournaments, who clinched a third IBSF world championship in Austria last weekend, will compete on the EASB Pro-Ticket Tour in Leeds and misses the trip to Newmarket.

Five girls aged under 17 travel down from Derbyshire: Hannah Jones, 12, Joanne Davies, 16, Naomi Clare, 13, and sisters Charlotte, 14, and 16-year-old Georgina Holloway.

Catalano, Bonney, June Banks and Katie Henrick are the four seeded players. The draw takes place at 9.45am and play starts at 10am.

Tim Dunkley (WLBSA press office)

[tallguy]

Is this open for British players only ?

[snookerdad]

The British Open is open to any lady of any age.

Tim

[snookerdad]

Making plans for Nigel

BRITISH Open snooker champion Emma Bonney promised long-term boyfriend Nigel a Christmas present after replacing Reanne Evans as women’s world number one.

Bonney clinched a second World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association title with a 3-0 victory over world number five June Banks at the Newmarket Snooker & Bowl on Saturday, November 15.

“A Christmas present?” laughed the bubbly 32-year-old from Portsmouth, clutching the £200 top prize. “It means he gets one now.”

Six days after returning from Austria with a third-place finish at the IBSF World Championships, Bonney joined a 20-strong field for the third WLBSA ranking event of the season,

She beat shock semi-finalist Suzie Opacic 3-0 to set up a clash with good friend Banks.

“It was quite a relaxed, friendly atmosphere,” said Bonney, who did not drop a frame all day. “We both have a bit of a joke because I get on well with June. She’s one of my best friends in snooker.”

Bonney was dubbed ‘Queen of the South’ after ending a run of seven losing finals on the WLBSA circuit with a first tournament win at the South Coast Classic in Eastbourne in February this year.

“I’m a bit more steady in matches and a bit more sensible at the end of frames,” explained the three-time world billiards champion.

World number seven Opacic, 20, from Hampshire, who posted the day’s top break of 80 - a personal best - against Vicky Ashby in the last 16, beat defending champion Maria Catalano 3-0 in the quarter-finals.

Evans, winner of the first two WLBSA tournaments, who clinched a third IBSF world championship last weekend, competed on the EASB Pro-Ticket Tour in Leeds and missed the trip to Newmarket.

England international Hannah Jones, 12, from Derby, claimed a second successive junior title. Ashby (Hemel Hempstead) won the Plate competition and Martina Lumsden (Eastbourne) lifted the Seniors trophy.

WLBSA chairman Mandy Fisher was forced to change the venue to Newmarket and thanked manager Tony Carr for stepping in at short notice and for the wonderful hospitality.

RESULTS (breaks):

LAST 32: Hannah Jones bt Jan Hughes 3-1, Maureen Logan bt Charlotte Holloway 3-0, Marianne Williams bt Naomi Clare 3-2, Jenny Poulter bt Gaye Jones 3-0.

LAST 16: Maria Catalano (55) bt Hannah Jones 3-1, Suzie Opacic (80) bt Vicky Ashby 3-0, Chris Sharpe bt Martina Lumsden 3-0, Emma Bonney (37) bt Logan 3-0, Katie Henrick bt Williams 3-0, Joanne Davies bt Georgina Holloway 3-0, Eva Palmius bt Tina Owen-Sevilton 3-1, June Banks bt Poulter 3-0.

QUARTER-FINALS: Opacic bt Catalano 3-0, Bonney bt Sharpe 3-0, Henrick (55) bt Davies 3-0, Banks (42) bt Palmius 3-0.

SEMI-FINALS: Bonney bt Opacic 3-0, Banks bt Henrick 3-0.

FINAL (£200/£100): Bonney bt Banks 3-0.

PLATE

LAST 16: Ashby bt Lumsden 2-1, Hughes bt Charlotte Holloway 2-0, Georgina Holloway by Clare 2-1.

QUARTER-FINALS: Ashby bt Logan 2-0, Owen-Sevilton bt Hughes 2-0, Gaye Jones bt Georgina Holloway 2-0, Poulter bt Williams 2-0.

SEMI-FINALS: Ashby bt Owen-Sevilton 2-0, Gaye Jones bt Poulter 2-0.

FINAL: Ashby bt Gaye Jones 2-0.

SENIORS

QUARTER-FINALS: Lumsden bt Gaye Jones 1-0, Hughes bt Logan 1-0, Poulter bt Palmius 1-0.

SEMI-FINALS: Lumsden bt Sharpe 1-0, Poulter bt Hughes 1-0.

FINAL: Lumsden bt Poulter 1-0.

JUNIORS

QUARTER-FINALS: Hannah Jones bt Charlotte Holloway 1-0.

SEMI-FINALS: Jones bt Naomi Clare 1-0, Joanne Davies bt Georgina Holloway 1-0.

FINAL: Jones bt Davies 1-0.

Tim Dunkley (WLBSA press office)

[Monique]

Thanks once again Tim for keeping us up-to-date with the ladies events.

Congrats to Emma and to all the girls BTW ... they keep the sport alive there with almost no reward! Thanks also to Mandy Fisher all too often confronted with logistics nightmares.

and lucky Nigel

[Snookeraddict147]

HOw to qualify for non-Uk's ??

And wot prize money

[snookerdad]

Any woman or girl, of any age, from anywhere in the world can join the World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association. In fact, under-16s receive free membership and free tournament entries.

Only the Wytech Masters is sponsored. Prize money for the rest out of the tour is taken from entry fees.

Tim Dunkley (WLBSA press officer)